Patient safety is not only about preventing dramatic adverse events; it is also about questioning avoidable harm embedded in everyday routines. Despite significant evidence, many patients still face prolonged "nothing after midnight" practices, leading to unnecessary fasting of clear liquids for 12 hours or more — a tradition associated with distress, dehydration, delayed recovery and potential harm, yet with no demonstrated clinical benefit.

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Following the recent publication of the International Multidisciplinary Consensus Statement on Pre-operative Liquid Fasting, developed through a rigorous Delphi process, the World Patients Alliance (WPA) and the European Patient Safety Foundation (EUPSF) we believe it is urgent to bring these practices into open discussion. With this in mind, we are organising a webinar entitled “Liquid Fasting Before an Operation: Reducing Risk, Improving Care” on July 9, 2026, at 9:00 AM EST.

The webinar aims to put the consensus recommendations, real-world clinical practice and patient experience into dialogue. During the webinar you will learn how the consensus group approached clear liquid fasting, hear real-world patient stories illustrating the physical and psychological toll of prolonged fasting, and explore with the multi-stakeholder panel why such deep-seated traditions persist and what it would take to question and change them.

We invite healthcare professionals, hospital administrators, and patient advocates to join us for this essential discussion on modernising perioperative care and implementing safer, evidence-based protocols.